Disney’s Kidani Village – Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Newest DVC Resort

Those that know me, know that I am a Disney Local. This gives me the opportunity to get out onto Walt Disney World Property quite often. I love it when friends vacation at WDW because it gives me yet another excuse to go to “The World”! This week I just so happen to have friends in town and they treated me to breakfast at Boma in the Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort. After we finished up breakfast, we decided to head on out to Kidani Village to nose around and see what there was to see. I made sure to take lots of photos so I could share them all with you.

This is the main entrance (sorry about the radio antenna). There is still a bit of construction going on…

Because of the construction, we decided not to park at the Main Entrance, and headed in through one of the resort wings. We were surprised at the small bit of covered parking near the elevators. This is a nice added bonus, especially in Florida with our daily afternoon Summer Showers.

Even the elevator’s decor has that Kidani Village charm….

When we stepped off the elevator, the first thing that I noticed was the wall mural. There are several of these sprinkled about the resort. Here are a few….

And here was the first of the Hidden Mickeys, right underfoot in the carpet…

The Guest Hallway Lights reminded me of gigantic bottle caps. It was extremely hot outside so it does make sense that I would have beverages on the brain. 😎 The hallways were cool and had a strangely brisk breeze blowing through them. We couldn’t figure out where the origin of the wind was but it was welcome as we cooled off from the outside heat…

The hallways were very long but were broken up by HUGE solid glass bay windows that stretched from floor to ceiling with views of the savanna. The picture below is the view from one of the windows. Feels like you’re right outside doesn’t it?

After making our way down the long corridor we finally came to the heart of the resort. Kidani Village has the “staple” Disney Arcade as well as a Community Hall with additional activities, including billiards and foosball.

We discovered a small lounge area tucked away near the main lobby complete with a fireplace and balcony looking over the savanna…

I was lucky enough to snap these giraffes snacking when I was out on the lounge balcony…

And this gorgeous view as well…

Here are some pictures of the lobby and check-in area. The sculpted glass chandeliers and torches were impressive!

The Kidani Village Gift Shop…

The layout of Kidani Village is similar to the Layout of Animal Kingdom Lodge. After you pass through the Main Lobby you can view the large savanna through the rear windows…

At the base of the rear steps is Sanaa, Kidani’s main restaurant. I was told that the menu at Sanaa had just changed on September 22nd. I have a friend that runs another Disney Blog Site revolving solely around food and the cast member at Sanaa presented me with a lunch, dinner, and dessert menu to take home with me for research purposes. This was just one of the random acts of extreme kindness that were extended to us on our very short visit to Kidani Village. I have never been met with such warm wishes as I did on my tour of this special Disney Resort!

We commented about the Hidden Mickey on the rear wall at Sanaa’s Main Entrance and were told by another Sanaa cast member to keep our eye’s peeled for a second Hidden Mickey on the rock wall that covers the stairway leading back up to the main lobby. Can you make it out?….

Before we headed back up, we ventured outside in the heat to check out the main lobby savanna viewing area. There is a short walkway that leads out to a podium in the center of the savanna…

At the end of the walkway is a firepit surrounded by chairs. Were were told by the Animal Field Guides that the pit is lit every night for guests…

Here’s the view! Magnificent!…

I hope you enjoyed this photographic tour of Kidani Village. It is a beautiful resort! For those of you lucky enough to have booked this resort for your next magical trip, you have plenty to look forward to.

Until Next Time,

P.S. If you would like a shot at our weekly $25 Disney Gift Card, subscribe to the Disney Every Day Newsletter and look for your “Where in the World are We” Contest Clues each week. Enter your name and email address below for a chance to win!